"Arctica" Fine Handmade Tactical Combat Search and Rescue Professional Knife by Jay Fisher

Arctica

"Arctica" Tactical Combat, CSAR, Survival Knife

Size: Length overall: 12.75" (32.4 cm), Blade Length: 7.0" (17.8 cm), Thickness: .239" (6.1 mm)
Weight: Knife: 1 lb., 3.5 oz. (553 grams), Sheath (with extender and accessory package): 1 lb. (454 grams)
Blade: ATS-34 High Molybdenum Martensitic Stainless Tool Steel, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell C58, Bead Blasted
Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, Bead Blasted
Handle: Red and Black G10 Fiberglass/Epoxy Laminate Composite
Sheath: Locking, Black Kydex, Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Polypropylene and Nylon belt loop extender with Firesteel/Magnesium fire starter, Fine DMT diamond pad sharpener, Maglite Solitaire® flashlight, all stainless steel fittings.
Knife: Here is one of the absolute toughest, most durable knives I make. The Arctica is named for rigid and unyielding ice breaker-styled geometries of ships that clear the arctic shipping lanes and the name of an ancient continent formed early in the earth's age in what is now the Canadian and Siberian shields. This combination of thickness, slight curves, and a very substantial handle is what I call "the PJLT on steroids." Since my PJLT is my most popular design of knife, and since it has a proven combat and tactical search and rescue heritage with our nation's top military rescue service (United States Air Force Pararescuemen), it was the inspiration for this next generation of incredibly durable knives. The Arctica is larger, thicker, heavier, and stronger than the PJLT. This Arctica starts with an high alloy ATS-34 high molybdenum, high chromium martensitic stainless steel blade, deeply and accurately hollow ground, with a thick and meaty spine. ATS-34 is a very tough steel, which means it has extremely high resistance to fracture, even at high hardness. I tempered this knife to 58HRC, so the blade will be as fracture-resistant as possible, while being extremely wear resistant as well. Another added characteristic of ATS-34 is that it has a very high tempering temperature, so it is a true "hot work" stainless steel that will not change temper unless the blade temperature exceeds 1000° Fahrenheit! The tanto point is a complex one, with an aggressive curve in the point belly, and plenty of thickness at the secondary point for bearing down. The spine has a two-thirds length top swage, which decreases the point cross sectional thickness without sacrificing strength. The blade has over two inches of my Piranha deep cutting serrations, combining hollow ground and chisel ground geometries for a vicious cutting action. I fileworked the entire knife blade and tang with an aggressive pattern and the tang is fully tapered for balance. The knife is bolstered with substantial, multi-pinned 304 high nickel, high chromium austenitic stainless steel bolsters that are zero-care and bead blasted for a low key, non-glare, businesslike finish. The bolsters are heavy, thick, and the rear bolster has a 5/16" through-tang chamfered lanyard hole for extra security if needed. The dovetailed bolsters lock and bed a pair of black and red G10 fiberglass reinforced epoxy laminate composite handle scales, which are secured with six strong 304 stainless steel pins and bead-blasted for a good tooth and texture that is easy to grip and simple to maintain. The knife feels great in the hand, in either forward or reverse grip style, and the front and rear quillons lock the hand well to the handle. The balance point is right at the forefinger location, and the thumb is comfortably drawn to the thumb rise for great control.
Sheath: The sheath is more of a professional assembly than a simple knife sheath, and an example of why I'm committed to making the finest combat tactical, and rescue knives and sheaths on the planet. It starts with double thickness (.125") kydex hot-formed over a high strength, corrosion resistant aluminum welt frame, secured with bead blasted 304 stainless steel Chicago screws for the ultimate in durability and no glare. The sheath is one of my proven positively locking waterproof models, with all stainless steel locking mechanism and components for the ultimate in reliability. Even the machine screws are stainless steel. The sheath can be worn in any position, even upside down when worn with the die-formed high alloy aluminum belt loops (included, but not shown). The belt loops can be located in several positions along the welt frame and are reversible for a variety of wear options.
Accessories: This knife and sheath needed my ultimate accessory package, so I included my Ultimate survival, CSAR sheath belt loop extension accessories with new and added features and devices. The polypropylene accessory is waterproof, durable, and extremely stout, and allows the locking knife sheath to be worn in a more traditional belt position at the hip. The extension is mounted with 304 stainless steel straps and stainless steel machine screws attached to the existing stainless Chicago screws, and the assembly is stiffened by multiple zigzag nylon stitching to prevent the extension from folding, bending, or collapsing when the knife is extracted from the sheath. The belt loop is 2.5 inches wide for the widest of belts, and has a top placement shock cord with snap retention to prevent the knife handle from flopping around during active movements. The shock cord is not for retention of the knife; this is done with the stainless steel sheath lock. At the lower back of the extension I've included a custom fit pocket for a DMT (Diamond Machining Technology) Mini-Sharp diamond-nickel abrasive hone, to bring up the cutting edge in the field with ease, even on this high alloy wear resistant blade. These are great tools that can re-sharpen or just touch up even the hardest tool steel edges, as they are surface bonded with diamond abrasives. The pocket for this tool is situated at the sheath back and against the body, so the sharpener can not be removed unless the sheath is off the body and the industrial strength Velcro closure is open. I also added a specially modified critical survival component to this accessory: the Firesteel/Magnesium block with custom fittings. These blocks are waterproof and durable, with soft magnesium that can be easily shaved off with the knife blade, and a Firesteel striker to ignite the magnesium shavings when placed into tinder to start a fire. A unique addition to this block is the stainless steel rod guard. This minimizes the possibility of the Firesteel contacting any other metals and causing accidental sparks and ignition when worn or removed, guards the knife tip (or swage) when the blade is dragged over the Firesteel, helps concentrate and guide the spark direction, and offers a variety of mounting options, besides on the sheath extender's industrial strength Velcro straps. Being all 304 stainless steel, it will not corrode or rust. A recent inclusion on these useful accessory packages is the Maglite Solitaire, a small and durable flashlight that is waterproof, with o-ring seals and made of black anodized machined aluminum. I custom make a stainless steel retention ring mount for locking the light in its dedicated sleeve for security yet "up front" access in the package. There are much more to these accessories; learn about these critical accessories on a special page on my site at this link. Mounting, care, and use instructions are posted there.
A professional, top of the line, brutally tough beast of a knife, a combat, rescue, and tactical knife that is simply one of the best made. This knife defines robust.

Thanks, C. B.!

Jay,
I was tracking the package eagerly and was happy to find it arrived a day early. The knife is simply beautiful. Without being prone to hyperbole- it is the best knife I have ever held by far. I am so, so impressed. The balance is absolutely perfect. This is a beast of a knife, but it fits my hand like it was made for it- feels like an extension of my arm. The geometry of the blade is so perfectly symmetrical and the the cutting edge is surgical.
I remember reading your website where it says that you "make the real thing." I believed that statement when I read it, but now I feel what you mean. This is no factory production knife. I know our men in combat who carry your knives have confidence that the knife will stand up to any challenge. The kydex sheath is awesome and it locks the blade without even a slight jiggle. The accessories are such a nice touch and I greatly appreciated that you put that much thought into the components that would compliment the knife/sheath.
Jay, this is the finest object I have ever purchased. Thank you for being the professional that you are.

Sincerely,
--C. B.

Please click on thumbnail knife photos

"Arctica" fine survival, combat, tactical, handmade knife, reverse side view. The knife has a complete accessory package mounted to the tough polypropylene belt loop extender

"Arctica" spine filework, edgework detail. Using an aggressive, hand-cut filework improves grip security all along the full tang of the blade.

"Arctica" inside handle tang detail. Fully tapered tang, dovetailed and bedded handle scales mean permanent and solid fitting

"Arctica" obverse side view. Handle scales of G10 fiberglass reinforced epoxy laminate composite are bedded and secured with six stainless steel through-tang pins

"Arctica" reverse side handle detail. All areas are contoured and rounded for a very comfortable yet secure grip. Quillons are deep and robust.

"Arctica" sheathed view. Sheath is positively locking, all waterproof, stainless steel mechanism and construction, simply the finest locking sheath made

"Arctica" ultimate sheath belt loop extender accessory package includes diamond abrasive pad sharpener, magnesium firesteel firestarter with safety cage, Maglite Solitaire emergency flashlight, all stainless steel fittings and components

"Arctica" point view. This tanto point is specially designed for extremely tough use, yet razor keen sharpness and penetration

"Arctica" piranha rip tooth serrations use a special geometry combination for vicious, aggressive ripping cuts through the toughest materials

"Arctica" knife butt view. Heavy, thick and extremely strong rear bolster and quillon arrangement supports this knife in the heaviest of use

Testimonials about other "Arctica" Knives:

Jay you need a section on your website that displays only "beasts" of this style. There is no way that you can accurately describe weapons of this style and be believed. Over the decades I have seen a lot of survival knives, military issue knives and knives made by self-proclaimed experts that are one time used and thrown away for all practical purposes. Your creations will last my lifetime and my heirs lifetime as well.
Thank you again!

Best always:
P.

Hi Jay,
Thanks for checking in; I received the Arctica today.
Wow! There is no way I can describe how impressed I am with this knife. The pictures on your website are great, but they just don't compare to experiencing the reality. It's going to take me days to get used to every detail, especially with so many great accessories included, so here are my very first impressions:
The balance is perfect; that big rear bolster really balances out the hefty blade so that it pivots perfectly on the first two fingers of my grip; combined with the thumb rise, this thing handles like a much lighter knife.
At first I thought the space between the bolsters was a little large for my hand, then I realized, a knife like this was designed for guys who wear gloves! Sure enough, with a pair of shooting gloves the grip is perfect.
The flat finish is ideal for a no-nonsense work knife, and the squared-off file work adds detail without being "showy" (which I don't think would suit it). I love how all the metal parts on the sheath and it's accessories match the finish on the knife.
There are so many other impressive details, but you're a busy guy, and anyway the point is I couldn't be happier, thank you so much for making this knife and giving me the opportunity to own it.
You have a customer for life; I'm already looking at some of your inventory knives!
Thanks again,

Hello Jay,

I sat down to open the package containing Arctica with a bit of trepidation, expecting a complex system that would require some work to appreciate. After first admiring your impeccable and beautiful work on the obviously made-for-business-use leather sheath, I laid out the rest of the box's contents. As I did, the first thought I had regarding the Arctica knife and tactical sheath was, "This is the real deal."

What a great looking handle, with the brass fibers providing a visual texture that made me want to pick up the knife. Taking the knife, in the sheath, in hand and appreciating the solidity of it as a unit is a striking tactile indicator of how tight the design and implementation is. This is a precision piece of engineering. I'm relieved that the handle isn't too large for my hand. Now to the really fun part, hitting that locking-mechanism release with the tip of my thumb and drawing the blade from the sheath. And then doing it again and again, just to enjoy it; it locks securely with no play of knife in sheath, but releases so easily with the natural draw grip. I wondered if you had an "Aha!" moment when you thought of the design.

This is a robust knife, with the feel that only the best tools have. To me that feeling is, "I trust this tool to get the job done. I can rely on it to perform whenever I need it, under hard use and bad conditions."

Setting the knife aside for a bit I go back to the sheath and its functionality. I find the HULA ingenious and it makes so much sense to have this attached to the sheath rather than a separate attachment point elsewhere. Moreover, the ball joint lets me put light wherever I want it, with the paddle-tensioner easily adjusted with a gloved hand. At this point I am certain this is going on the sternum harness.

Jay the integration of the fire starter and diamond sharpener are well done and together with the spare parts and accessories, to say nothing of the sternum harness, complete this "ultimate package." All of your detailed instructions are a valuable resource, but my initial trepidation about the system was unwarranted. What you've built is precise, robust and intuitive. You did the thinking so I can do the 'doing.' I think my words of appreciation for Aquila were more concise, but I've had such a good time this afternoon getting to know this Arctica that I wanted to share my delight.

Again, much respect for your knowledge, skill, precision and attitude. To be the pinnacle of human endeavor in a chosen field is indeed righteous.

Thank You,

--M.

Thank you, it is an amazing work of art and an incredible knife. Outstanding! Thanks again.

--K.

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